Saiko decides to stake her claim on Shoto, gathering the necessary ire from many in the class. And those who are already involved.

The library was unusually quiet, even for UA standards. Shoto Todoroki sat at one of the large wooden tables, his notebook open and neatly filled with calculations and notes. Beside him, Izuku Midoriya and Tenya Iida were poring over their own work, occasionally murmuring to each other about formulas and project details.

The calm, studious atmosphere didn't last long.

"Good evening, gentlemen," Saiko Intelli's smooth voice cut through the quiet like a knife. The three boys looked up in unison as Saiko approached, a confident smile on her face and a stack of neatly arranged books in her arms.

Izuku blinked, his mind racing. "Oh, Intelli! Good evening."

Tenya adjusted his glasses, his posture straightening immediately. "Ms. Intelli. Are you here to study as well?"

"Indeed," Saiko said, setting her books down on the table with precision. Her sharp gaze swept over the trio before landing on Shoto. "I couldn't help but notice your group and thought I might join you. May I?"

There was a brief pause. Izuku and Tenya exchanged a glance, while Shoto simply stared at her, his expression unreadable.

"Um," Izuku began, his voice uncertain. "I mean, it's a public library, so…"

"Of course," Saiko said, not waiting for further permission. She slid into the seat beside Shoto, her movements fluid and deliberate. "Thank you."

Shoto shifted slightly in his chair, his usually calm demeanor replaced with a faint tension. He glanced at Saiko out of the corner of his eye as she opened one of her books and began skimming its contents. Something about her presence felt... off. He couldn't quite place it, but it set him on edge.

"So," Saiko began, her tone light and conversational. "What's it like, studying at UA? I imagine the experience must be fascinating."

"It's... challenging," Shoto said simply, his tone guarded.

Saiko's smile widened slightly. "I can imagine. With all the talent gathered here, it must be difficult to stand out. Though I suppose you've never had trouble in that regard, Todoroki."

Shoto didn't respond immediately, his fingers tightening slightly around his pen. "It's not about standing out. It's about doing your best."

Izuku and Tenya exchanged another glance, both clearly sensing the shift in mood. Izuku's nervous energy was practically radiating off him as he adjusted his notebook. "Um, Intelli, what brings you to the library tonight? Are you working on something specific?"

Saiko looked at him briefly, her expression polite but disinterested. "Oh, just some background research. I thought I might get a better sense of UA by observing its students firsthand."

Her gaze flicked back to Shoto, who remained silent, his focus firmly on his notes. Saiko tilted her head slightly, her smile softening. "You seem quite focused, Todoroki. I admire that."

Shoto's grip on his pen tightened, though his expression didn't change. For a fleeting moment, his mind wandered to the times he worked with Momo. There was a calmness to those moments, a sense of ease that he didn't feel now. The contrast was stark.

Tenya cleared his throat, attempting to redirect the conversation. "Ms. Intelli, perhaps we can help with your research? I'm sure there are many aspects of UA you'd find intriguing."

Saiko smiled faintly. "Perhaps another time. For now, I'm content observing."

Izuku glanced at Shoto, who was clearly uneasy, and felt a twinge of concern. This... wasn't going well.

Scene skip

In one of the quieter corners of the dorm lounge, Momo, Jiro, and Ochako were seated around a table. The remnants of their training notebooks and loose papers were spread across the surface, but the conversation had veered far from their original tasks.

Jiro leaned back in her chair, her pen tapping rhythmically against the table. "So," she said, breaking the silence, "how's the whole room-sharing thing going?"

Momo sighed, her hands folded neatly in front of her. "It's fine."

Jiro raised an eyebrow. "Is it? Because you look like you've been chewing lemons every time you walk out of that room."

Momo's jaw tightened slightly, but she didn't respond.

Ochako glanced up from her planner, her brow furrowing in concern. "It must be strange, though. Sharing a room with someone like Intelli."

Momo hesitated before letting out a resigned sigh. "It's... an adjustment."

"I'll bet," Jiro said, her smirk widening. "What's she like? Is she already driving you nuts?"

Momo shook her head. "Not exactly. She's polite. Calm. Almost too calm. But there's something about her... I can't quite explain it."

"She gets under your skin," Jiro said knowingly.

Momo hesitated, then nodded. "Yes. It's like everything she says is perfectly measured, but you can tell she's always thinking two steps ahead."

Ochako tilted her head, her expression thoughtful. "That sounds exhausting."

"It is," Momo admitted. She paused, then added, "But I suppose it's not entirely unreasonable to share a space with someone you don't particularly... get along with."

Jiro's smirk turned teasing. "Suuuuure it's not."

Momo ignored her, turning to Ochako. "Ochako, if you don't mind me asking, how would you feel if Melissa Shield were sharing a room with you?"

Ochako blinked, startled by the question. "Melissa?"

"Yes," Momo said, leaning forward slightly. "Imagine she was here, staying in the dorms. She's intelligent, charming, and clearly has a lot in common with Midoriya. How would you feel about her being around him all the time?"

Ochako's cheeks flushed faintly, and she fidgeted with her pen. "I mean... I'd be fine with it. She's really nice, and I don't think she'd—"

"Really?" Jiro interjected, her tone skeptical. "Because you don't look fine."

Ochako's blush deepened. "I'm serious! Melissa's... she's great! I don't have any reason to—"

"Be jealous?" Jiro finished for her, her smirk growing.

"I didn't say that!" Ochako protested, waving her hands in front of her.

Momo gave Ochako a knowing look. "Exactly."

The room fell quiet for a moment as Ochako's words hung in the air. Finally, she sighed, slumping slightly in her chair. "Okay, maybe it'd bother me a little," she admitted softly. "But only because... well, you know."

Jiro leaned forward, her smirk turning sly. "Oh, we know."

Ochako groaned, hiding her face in her hands. "You're the worst."

Momo gave a small, understanding smile. "I only ask because... I suppose I've been feeling something similar."

"Toward Todoroki?" Jiro asked, though her tone made it clear she already knew the answer.

Momo hesitated before nodding. "I didn't think it would bother me. But the way Intelli acts... it's as though she's always one step away from trying to..."

"Steal him?" Jiro offered.

"She can try," Ochako said, her voice suddenly firmer. "But honestly? I don't think it'll work. Todoroki's way too grounded to fall for anything that shallow."

"Yeah," Jiro agreed. "And, not to sound cheesy or anything, but he clearly respects you, Momo. That's not something Intelli can just... take."

Momo smiled faintly, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Thank you. That means a lot."

"Don't mention it," Jiro said, leaning back in her chair again. "But seriously, we're totally going to keep teasing you about this."

Scene skip

Shoto sat at his desk, his notebook open in front of him, his pen moving steadily as he copied down the notes from the board. Saiko Intelli had claimed the seat beside him, her posture perfect and her sharp gaze fixed not on the lesson but on him.

"So, Todoroki," Saiko said in a low voice, her tone light and conversational, "I've been meaning to ask—how do you find UA? Do you think it lives up to the reputation?"

Shoto paused briefly, his pen hovering above the page. "It's fine," he replied, his voice neutral.

"Just fine?" Saiko pressed, tilting her head slightly. "I'd think a school like this would offer more than just... adequacy."

Shoto didn't look at her, his focus shifting back to his notes. "It's challenging. That's enough."

Saiko hummed thoughtfully. "Challenging, yes. I imagine it would be, with all the talent concentrated here. It must be difficult to stand out in such a crowd. Though, I suppose you don't have that problem."

He didn't respond, his grip on his pen tightening slightly. Across the room, Momo's pencil snapped with a sharp crack, drawing startled glances from nearby students.

"Momo?" Jiro asked, her voice low. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Momo said quickly, though her tone was clipped. She reached for another pencil from her neatly organized case, her movements rigid.

Jiro raised an eyebrow, glancing toward Shoto and Saiko. "Yeah, okay."

Ochako leaned forward, whispering, "She's been like this all day. Do you think it's because of...?"

Momo didn't let her finish. "I said I'm fine," she said firmly, her eyes fixed on her notebook.

Jiro and Ochako exchanged a look, both sensing that pushing further would only make things worse.

Meanwhile, Saiko continued her quiet interrogation of Shoto. "You have such a unique position, Todoroki," she said, her voice soft yet pointed. "The legacy of Endeavor, your dual quirks—it must be fascinating to navigate all of that here. I wonder, do you find that people treat you differently because of it?"

Shoto finally looked up, his expression unreadable. "I don't think about it."

Saiko's smile widened slightly, her eyes glinting. "How pragmatic of you."

Scene skip.

During the break, Izuku and Iida found themselves sitting near the windows, both of them trying to casually keep an eye on Shoto and Saiko. Izuku had noticed it first: how Shoto seemed... off. He was always polite, always measured, but the air around him when he was talking to Saiko felt strained.

Iida was more cautious in his assessment. "It's clear Todoroki doesn't enjoy this," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "I can't tell if he's just being too polite to tell her to leave him alone, or if there's something more."

Izuku nodded, looking over at Shoto, who was still seated next to Saiko, though now they were both engrossed in their notes. "He seems a little too uncomfortable for it to just be politeness," Izuku said thoughtfully. "But... he's not saying anything, so I guess he doesn't want to cause any trouble."

"I don't think it's that simple," Iida replied. "Todoroki is not one to avoid confrontation when he believes it's necessary. This is different."

Izuku chewed on his lower lip, watching the exchange. "Maybe he just doesn't know how to handle it. You know how he is—he's not great at dealing with social situations."

Iida's frown deepened as he observed the two. "True. But it still seems like he's holding something back."

Izuku's gaze flicked to Momo, who was sitting across the room, her posture stiff and her eyes locked on Shoto and Saiko. "I don't think Momo's taking it well either. She looks... frustrated."

Iida followed Izuku's gaze, his expression thoughtful. "That's an understatement."

Scene skip

At the back of the classroom, the boys were doing their best to keep their distance from the growing tension. Kirishima, always the peacemaker, had noticed Momo's increasingly short temper. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but he knew better than to get involved. Kaminari, who had picked up on the tension as well, wisely stayed quiet.

"Man," Kaminari whispered to Kirishima, "this isn't good. Momo's not herself lately. She's always so chill, but now? Every time she looks over at Todoroki and Saiko... it's like a storm brewing."

"Yeah, I've seen it too," Kirishima said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I mean, I know they're friends, but it's like she's about to explode. What do we do?"

"Nothing," Kaminari said. "We definitely don't get involved in that mess. We know better."

The two shared a brief glance, and then Kirishima chuckled, albeit awkwardly. "Yeah, I'd rather not get in the middle of a powder keg. That's gonna blow up any minute."

Elsewhere, Katsuki was leaning against the wall in the hallway with Camie, the only person who seemed entirely unfazed by the tension brewing in the classroom. She was sitting casually on the windowsill, scrolling through her phone, a playful grin on her face.

"Can't help but notice," Camie began, her voice light, "but something's off with Todoroki and that Intelli girl. She's always hovering around him like a cloud."

Katsuki grunted, his gaze briefly flicking toward the classroom. "Yeah, well, it's annoying."

"You don't like it, huh?" Camie teased, her smile widening.

"Hell no," Katsuki snapped, his voice sharp. "She's messin' with the whole damn class. Can't stand it."

Camie laughed lightly, the sound more teasing than amused. "So, what are you gonna do about it? You think Todoroki's gonna say something?"

Katsuki shook his head. "Nah, he's too damn polite for that. But if she doesn't cut it out, I'm gonna step in."

Camie raised an eyebrow. "Really? You're gonna step in?"

"Yeah," Katsuki said with an unreadable smirk. "Just wait. She won't last long in this group. We're all used to each other's bullshit."

A bit more on this. I hope you all like this.

Saluut.